


Fenris and the Wriggling Bag

by Rhube



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Cat, Fluff, Luxury, M/M, anders gets a cat, catty cat cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 16:36:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10812795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhube/pseuds/Rhube
Summary: Fenris apologises to Anders by giving him a cat.





	Fenris and the Wriggling Bag

**Author's Note:**

  * For [calligraphypenn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/calligraphypenn/gifts).



> Does what it says on the tin. This is a pure fluff one-shot for calligraphypenn, who requested 'Fenders and luxury....? :D' on Tumblr.

Fenris entered the clinic, a large velvet bag clutched in one hand. It squirmed.

“Not now, Fenris,” Anders said. “It’s been a long day and... and I just can’t face it.”

Fenris’s heart sank. Of course the mage would not want to see him. They had not parted on good terms. Fenris had... not responded well to the fumbled pass Anders had made at him at Isabella’s birthday party.

The pirate had insisted Anders drink her special ‘birthday’ rum, over the mage’s protests, and having done one thing his... spirit... disapproved of, the rum seemed to encourage Anders to indulge in other things he had not engaged in for a while.

Which included cornering Fenris, who might have also had some of the birthday rum, and telling him that, really, for a ‘blighted bigot’, he was very attractive.

The touch of the mage’s hand on his neck had made him jump. He'd pushed Anders from him without even thinking. “Don’t touch me, abomination!” Fenris had spat, falling into familiar phrases to cover his confusion.

Anders’ face had fallen, then hardened. “Sorry. Don’t know what I was thinking. A bad attitude can sour even the prettiest face, can’t it?” He’d turned and left, without even wishing Isabela goodbye.

Of course, everyone had blamed him, and the next day, with a pounding head and tasting nothing but regret and yesterday’s rum, Fenris had to admit that he wished he hadn’t pushed the mage away at all.

He’d not been oblivious to the way Anders’ eyes had begun to linger on him, then dart away when he looked. Usually with some barbed remark to cover up his awkwardness. He’d even begun to needle the mage just to get him talking more. He’d never expected it to go anywhere, but if something had happened while both their defences were down, he wouldn’t have minded.

But instead he’d made it clear he did not welcome Anders’ touch, and insulted him in just the way he knew Anders hated most. He knew he had to apologise, and it had to be good.

Fenris had been at a loss until he recalled that Merrill had mentioned seeing some kittens in the alienage. He didn’t know much about what Anders liked, but he knew the mage wanted a cat.

Unfortunately, it had been weeks ago that Merrill had mentioned the kittens, and when he’d awkwardly enquired with her about them, she told him they were all gone.

Fortunately, Isabela, who felt a little bad about persuading Anders to drink, had come through for him.

With the contents of the currently wriggling, very slightly growling, velvet bag.

Anders frowned at the noise and came closer in spite of himself. “What have you got in there?” he asked.

“It is for you,” Fenris said, thrusting the bag out. “I... wanted to apologise. For last night. I didn’t mean to push you away. You... caught me by surprise.”

Anders’ frown deepened as he approached the bag and took it gingerly from Fenris’s grasp.

The bag made a forlorn ‘Waaaaooow’ sound.

“Fenris,” he said, putting the bag down on a table. “Is this... did you get me...” he opened the bag. “A cat?”

The velvet sides of the bag collapsed to reveal a very fluffy, slightly dishevelled, pure white adolescent cat.

The frown on Anders’ face cleared and he gasped. “Oh! You’re beautiful - look at you.”

The cat pulled back from Anders’ tentatively outstretched hand at first, still wary from her imprisonment, but then she stretched her neck forward and sniffed.

The mage looked at him - he was actually smiling. “Does she like to be picked up?”

Fenris blinked. “I - I have no idea. She didn’t like the bag.”

Anders rolled his eyes. “Well of course she didn’t like the bag, did you, Lady Fuzzybottom?” With the ease of someone who knew cats well and liked them very much, Anders first petted the creature, and when she seemed to respond to his overtures, he scooped her up into his arms, sighing with pleasure.

“Oh, aren’t you precious, my lady? Aren’t you just beautiful? You’re a proper little princess!” he cooed at her.

“You... like her, then?” Fenris asked.

“I - I love her. Thank you,” he said. “I mean it.” The cat seemed to know she was in the arms of a real cat-lover. She immediately relaxed and began purring, loudly. Anders kissed her head, and laughed when she rubbed up against his face.

But then he sighed and looked up at Fenris with a sadder expression. “I can’t keep her, though.”

“I - you - what?” Fenris said. “I thought you liked cats. I thought you wanted a cat. You and Merrill talked about those kittens and...”

“Yes,” Anders said. “And there’s a reason I didn’t go and get any. How long do you think a cat would last down here, Fenris? I _want_ a cat. If a stray came my way and was happy to stay, I’d be delighted. But it won’t happen. If the refugees didn’t eat it, it’d run away. This is no place for a princess like my lady here.”

Anders looked almost as sad now as he had last night. How had he got this so wrong?

“You deserve every luxury, Lady Fuzzybottom, don’t you?” Anders said to the cat, burying his face in her fur. “Yes, you do!”

There was no question of taking the gift back. Anders needed to have this cat. And if the cat couldn’t live in Darktown, they’d just have to find somewhere else for her.

“Then she’ll live with me,” Fenris blurted out.

“What?” Anders said, looking up.

“If you’re worried about keeping her here, she can live with me, and you can visit her any time you want.” And then he would have to visit Fenris, also.

Anders tilted his head, considering. “You’d have to get rid of the bodies,” he said. “Cats are curious and I don’t want her getting into that kind of thing.”

“Alright,” Fenris said.

Anders raised his eyebrows. “You’re serious, you’d get rid of the corpses you’ve kept for three years just so I can keep a cat at your place?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ll tidy up - at least one of the rooms - so she has somewhere nice to sleep?”

“I can do that.”

“And she’ll need a cat bed.”

Fenris frowned. “A... what?”

“A cat bed,” Anders said decisively. “Somewhere nice for her to sleep. So she likes it there and doesn’t run away.”

“I... OK. I’ll see what I can find.”

“She’ll need feeding. I won’t be able to do it if she’s not living with me, so you’ll have to. She’ll let you know if you don’t.”

“Mage, I will feed the cat.”

A slow smile kept across his face and he hugged the cat close. “Thank you,” he said, closing his eyes. “This is really... it’s a very kind gift, Fenris. I didn’t think you... I know I made a fool of myself last night, but really, I wasn’t expecting anything, I-”

“You didn’t make a fool of yourself,” Fenris said, stepping closer. “I’m sorry I... said what I did. I wish you’d stayed.”

“Oh,” Anders said, looking a little flustered. “Well then.” He cleared his throat. “I guess... I guess we’ll be seeing more of each other. If we’re going to be taking care of this little one.”

“I suppose we shall,” Fenris said, wondering if he could move closer still, but not quite daring.

Anders looked up and smiled. “I’ll bring her fish,” he said, fussing the cat’s head. “Jod is always bringing me some and I usually just pass it out, but I think some of it could make it her way.”

Fenris’s stomach churned. _Fish_. But if it would make Anders happy... “If you like,” he said.

“I will,” Anders said firmly, and his smile made Fenris’s stomach move in an entirely different way. “My little lady deserves every luxury.”


End file.
